Mr. President, American Citizens and Laws Deserve Respect Too
By Randall Nunn (05/22/07)
Last Friday, the press reported that President Bush, in defending the proposed "immigration deal" stated that the proposal would "help enforce our borders but equally importantly, it'll treat people with respect." This kind of statement is driving the conservative base away from President Bush in droves. Why should people who come here illegally and wrongfully take services paid for by the American taxpayer be treated with "respect"? After all, the way in which they came to this country does nothing but disrespect our laws and our citizens. Perhaps President Bush should tell the Mexican government to treat its citizens with respect and maybe they wouldn't continue to flee by the thousands to the United States.
I have generally been a supporter of President Bush and his administration. However, this constant push to open our country’s treasury to illegal aliens, while lecturing us about “respect” is making me downright angry. The president was elected to enforce our laws and support and defend the Constitution while doing so. Taxing law-abiding citizens and using their hard-earned money to pay for free social services, education and medical treatment for those here illegally is logically insupportable and morally unjustifiable. There is no logic to the administration’s position on immigration and it further burdens the very people who supported the president in the last two elections.
Immigration has become a huge issue with the Republican base and President Bush is further alienating the base with his sappy-headed remarks about treating people with respect. Let’s treat the American taxpayer with respect and let’s use a little intelligence in dealing with this issue and stop pandering to ethnic groups and trying to appear caring and sensitive.
Perhaps before asking the American people to support so-called “comprehensive immigration reform”, President Bush could have his administration give us an estimate of the cost to the average American taxpayer for the services provided to illegal aliens, including the cost of law enforcement and prisons, education and medical treatment. Then the American people can decide if they want their representatives to support this proposal or not. Is it so important for President Bush’s legacy that this bill be rushed through in a spirit of “bi-partisanship” without full disclosure of the true costs? Does any Republican strategist seriously think the Republicans will get a majority of the Hispanic vote if President Bush is seen as the architect of this give-away?
This proposed immigration bill makes no sense, logically or morally. This is the reason that President Bush defends it with nonsensical statements and liberal-sounding blather. How does giving “amnesty” to those here illegally “enforce our borders”? Why should Americans take seriously any requests for further restrictive laws aimed at fighting the war on terrorism when our borders are open for any terrorist to stroll across? The three illegal aliens involved in the Fort Dix plot show the utter lack of enforcement of our borders and immigration laws.
I am sorry to say it, but President Bush is not shooting straight with the American people. This immigration proposal is wrong on every count. When Al Capone was violating the law and evading taxes, no one was suggesting that he should be treated with respect and given amnesty. The illegal aliens are stealing from the American taxpayer just as surely as Capone was but we are told that not enforcing the law in their case is desirable. Why?
When Pancho Villa crossed our border and used guns to attack American citizens, people quickly understood what was going on. The millions now here illegally are making Villa’s depradations look like small potatoes when you compare the costs to the American economy of the present invasion. And some of us, Mr. President, see this “comprehensive” bill for what it is—a raid on the American treasury. The banditos this time just want a “better life” and they don’t need to obey “no stinkin’ American laws” to get it. Not the kind of people I feel obligated to treat with respect.
Randall H. Nunn
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